Ratchet mechanism.



PATENTED JULY 28 I 9.10. LEOPOLD'. RATOHET MECHANISM. A-PPLIGATIOI FILED FEB. 16, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

h w m No. 8941673, I PATBNTED JULY 28,- 1908.

- "G. 0.,LEOPOLD.

RATGHET MEOHANISIVL; APPLICATION FILE]? FEB-15, 1908' 2 SHEET-S-HEET 2.

' adapted for use in connection wit UNITED .sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. LEOPOLD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NORTH BROS. MFG 00., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RATGHET MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. LEOPOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Ratchet Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improve ments in ratchet mechanism es ecially tools, such as drills and screw drivers, although the ratchet mechanism may be a plied to other devices or machines without departing from my invention.

The object of my invention is to so construct a ratchet mechanism that the pawls act independently and themechanism can be so shifted as to throw any of the pawls into action, or a certain pair of pawls into action.

This object I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a longitudinal sectional view llustrating my improved ratchet mechanism and showing the shifting plate removed; Fig. 2, is a plan view of the body portion showing the shifting plate in position; Fig.

3, is a sectional view on the line 3-3, Fig. 1,

with the bevel wheel omitted; Fig. 4, is a detached perspective view of the shifting plate and its spring; Fig. 5, is a perspectiveview of one of the pawls Fig. 6, is a perspective view of one of the pawl springs; Fig. 7, is aside view of the ratchet mechanism drawn to a reduced scale; Figs. 8 and 9, are views of the body portion with the parts detached; and Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, are diagram views showing the shifting plate in different positions.

A, A are two driving bevel wheels mounted loosely on the spindle B and driven from a common gear A I I O is a cylindrical body portion carrying the ratchet mechanism and secured to the spindle B by a pin b,.which passes through t e body portion and through the spindle so that the spindle must turn'with the body portion. The'body portion is slotted at each end as at c, Fig. 8, and is grooved at 0, 0 the grooves being longitudinal and connecting with the slots at each end. The body portion is also notched at c for the rece tion of the pivot members (1, d of the paw s D, Fig. 5. Each pawl has a rearwardly extending portion forming a tail piece (1 and this tail piece is slightly raised at the end and curved as shown clearly in Fig. 5, so that the slide E can readily actuate it.

There are four pawls in the present instance, referringto Figs 1, D, D, D D and one pawl is entirely independent of the others. The pawls D, D engage a ratchet wheel a on the bevel wheel A. and the pawls D D engage a ratchet wheel a on the bevel wheel A. The pawls are forced into gear with these ratchet wheels by the pawl springs F, Fig. 6, each of which has two arms f, f WlllCll rest on the pawls and a central arm f which rests against the plate or the inclosing shell G. 'The sliding plate is notched at e, c on one side and at 6 e and e on the opposite side on a line with the tail members (1 of the pawls, and this slide can be adjusted longitudinally so that the tail members of any one or two of the pawls will be opposite the notchesand will be allowed to engage the ratchet wheels; the plate keepin all of the other pawls out of gear. The p ate is held in position by a spring I and at each. end of this spring are projections 11, 1'. turned down to engage notches i in each end of the plate E.

Ada ted to the spring is a screw 17 which eXten s through a slot g in the shell G and the head of this screw is of suflicient size that it can be readily shifted from one position to another, the slot being notched and marked to indicate the different points of adjustment, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. As illustrated in the diagrams, Figs. 10 to 14, both inclusive, the plate E can be adjusted to five different positions so as to produce five difierent movements of the spindle B.

As indicated by the letters in Fig. 7, the five movements are as follows :The first is ordinary, that is the parts are shown locked so that there is no ratchet movement and the drive is direct from the driving shaft to the driven spindle; second is a right continuous movement; third is a left continuous movement; fourth is a right hand ratchet; and fifth is a left hand ratchet. I

When the shifting plate E is in the-first osition, Fig. 10, the two pawls D D are flee and the other two pawls are held out of engagement with their ratchet wheel, thus locking the body portion rigidly to the gear A. This is the ordinary position.

Fig. 11, shows the plate shifted to the second position, freeing the pawls D and D and holding the pawls D and D out of engagement. Then the pawls are in position to effect a right continuous feed.

In Fig. 12, the plate E is shifted to the third position, freeing the pawls D and D and holding the pawls D and D out clear of the ratchet wheels; this will effect a left continuous movement.

Fig. 13, is the fourth position of the plate E and all the pawls, with the exception of the pawl D are held out of engagement,

giving the spindle a right hand ratchet movement. I

When the plate is in the fifth position, as shown in Fig. 14, all the pawls, with the exception of the pawl D are held out of engagement, giving the spindle a left hand ratchet movement.

Thus it will be seen by the above construction that I am enabled to shift the pawls to produce difierent movements of the spindle by simply sliding the plate to one position or another.

While I have shown four pawls, three pawls may be all that is necessary for some types of ratchet mechanism.

I claim 1. The combination of a body portion, pawls mounted in the body portion, a ratchet wheel, and a sliding plate mounted above the pawls and adapted to hold certain pawls out of engagement while allowing the others to be free for engagement with the ratchet wheel.

2. The combination of a body portion, a series of pawls mounted in the body portion, a ratchet wheel and a. notched plate mounted above the pawls, and means for sliding said plate over the pawls so as to hold certain pawls out of engagement with the ratchet wheel while another is free to engage with the ratchet wheel.

3. The combination of a body portion, pawls mounted in .the body portion, two ratchet Wheels arranged to be engaged by the pawls, a notched sliding plate mounted above the pawls, and means for sliding said plate so as to hold some of the pawls out of engagement with either of the ratchet wheels and release others of the pawls.

4. The combination of a body portion, pawls mounted therein, each pawl having a rearwardly projecting portion, a notched sliding plate mounted on the body portion above the pawls, a ratchet wheel, and means for shifting the plate so as to hold any one or more of the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

5. The combination of a spindle, a body portion secured to the spindle, a driving ratchet wheel at each end of the body portion through which the spindle passes, a series of pawls on the body portion, a notched sliding plate, and means for shifting the plate over the pawls, the said notches being so arranged that any one of the pawls may be free to engage the ratchet wheels, or certain ones of the pawls may be free to engage the ratchet wheels.

6. The combination of a spindle, a body portion secured to the spindle, two ratchet driving wheels one at each end of the body portion and adapted to turn freely on the spindle, four pawls pivotally mounted on the body portion, each pawl having a raised rear extension, a notched sliding plate mounted on the body portion, the notches alining with the tail pieces of the pawls and the notches being so arranged. that certain of the pawls will be held out of engagement with the ratchet wheels as the plate is shifted from one position to another.

7. The combination of a spindle, a body portion mounted on the spindle and having ways, ratchet wheels at each end of the body portion, a series of pawls mounted on the body portion adapted to engage the ratchet wheels, each pawl having a rear extension, a spring member mounted at each end of the body portion, each member having three arms, two of said arms pressing against the pawls, a sliding notched plate mounted in the ways in the body portion and acting upon the rear extensions of the pawls, so as to hold certain pawls out of engagement with the ratchet wheels and allow others to be forced into engagement with the ratchet wheels by the springs.

8. The combination of a spindle, a body portion mounted on the spindle, ratchet wheels at each end of the body portion and independent thereof, said body portion being recessed at each end over the ratchet wheels, and having longitudinal slots extending from one recess to the other and also having transverse pivot slots, four pawls mounted in the longitudinal slots of the body portion and having pivot members adapted to the transverse pivot slots, each pawl having an upturned rearward extension, and a notched plate arranged to slide in the body portion over the pawls and to act upon the raised rear extensions of the pawls.

9. The combination of a body portion, four pawls mounted in the body portion, two pawls facing in one direction and the other two pawls facing in the opposite direetion, each pawl having an upwardly extending tail piece, a plate E recessed at c, a on one side and recessed at 0 a and e" on. the

o posite side in line with the tail pieces of tffe pawls, whereby when the plate is in one position two pawls on one end are free, when moved into the second position a pawl at each end and at one side are free, when moved into the third position a pawl at each end on the opposlte side is free; when moved into the fourth position one pawl at one S1(l0 is free; and when moved into the final posiadapted to the body portion and acting tion the pawl at one end on the opposite side upon the rear extension of the pawl. is free, producing the'results substantially as In testimony whereof, I have signed my described. name to this specification, in the presence of 5 10. The combination in a pawl and two subscribing Witnesses. l5

ratchet mechanism, of va body ortion, a GEORGE O. LEOPOLD pawl pivotally mounted in the b0 portion,

said pawl having a body, two transverse Witnesses:

pivot members and an upwardl bent rear Jos. H. KLEIN, 10 extension, with a notched sliding plate WM. A. BARR. 

